Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Dec 4: This report, State of the Strait - Status and Trends of Key Indicators, 2007, is based on the Detroit River-Western Lake Erie Indicator Project, a three-year U.S.-Canada effort to compile and summarize long-term trend data, and the 2006 State of the Strait Conference held in Flat Rock, Michigan. An indicator is a measurable feature that provides useful information on ecosystem status, quality or trends and the factors that affect them. Examples of indicators used in this report include contaminants in fish, coastal wetland loss, reproductive success of threatened and endangered species, urban sprawl, land use changes, pollutant emissions, and many others. Indicator reporting clearly communicates ecosystem trends to policy makers and managers to aid in decision-making.

Indicators in the report are placed into three different categories to illustrate causal relationships: pressure, state, and response. Pressure indicators describe the direct and indirect pressures, including human activities that impact the environment. State indicators describe the physical, chemical, and biological condition of the natural world and human health and welfare. Response indicators describe societal actions in policy or behavior undertaken to improve and protect the environment. Policy-makers and decision-makers at all levels need timely, reliable, and relevant information on indicators for management purposes. Indicators measure progress toward management goals and objectives. From a management perspective, particular emphasis needs to be placed on quantifying targets and endpoints for management programs. The purpose of the project was to: compile and interpret long-term data bases for ecosystem indicators from the Detroit River-Western Lake Erie basin; translate the information into understandable terms for policy-makers and managers; and make these indicator data and trends readily available.

Key sponsors of the 2006 State of the Strait Conference and this report include: Canadian Consulate; CDM; Detroit Water and Sewerage Department; DTE Energy; Environment Canada; Environmental Management Association; Essex Region Conservation Authority; Friends of the Detroit River; Great Lakes Fishery Trust; International Joint Commission; International Wildlife Refuge Alliance; Metropolitan Affairs Coalition; Michigan Sea Grant; University of Michigan-Dearborn; University of Windsor; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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